Apparatus for surface dyeing the pulp insulation of wire

ABSTRACT

A PULP-INSULATED WIRE IS SURFACE DYED BY ADVANCING THE WIRE INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH RECEPTACLES ON A FREELY ROTATING ROLLER. THIS ROTATES THE ROLLER TO DISPLACE THE RECEPTACLES THROUGH A DYE SOLUTION TO TRANSFER THE DYE SOLUTION IN THE RECEPTACLES TO THE WIRE. IN AN ALTERNATE EMBODIMENT, AIR, UNDER PRESSURE, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE DYE SOLUTION TO FORM A LAYER OF DYE FOAM ON THE SURFACE OF THE SOLUTION SO THAT THE DYE FOAM IS TRANSFERRED BY THE RECEPTACLES TO THE WIRE.

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C. J- KROGEL Feb. 6, 1973 APPARATUS FOR SURFACE DYEING THE PULP INSULATION OF WIRE Filed Oct. 30

United States Patent 3,714,927 APPARATUS FOR SURFACE DYEING THE PULP INSULATION 0F WIRE Christopher John Krogel, Cranford, N..I., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York,

Filed Oct. 30, 1969, Ser. No. 872,675 Int. Cl. Bc 1/08, 1/16 US. Cl. 118-612 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pulp-insulated wire is surface dyed by advancing the Wire into frictional engagement with receptacles on a freely rotating roller. This rotates the roller to displace the receptacles through a dye solution to transfer the dye solution in the receptacles to the Wire. In an alternate embodiment, air, under pressure, is introduced into the dye solution to form a layer of dye foam on the surface of the solution so that the dye foam is transferred by the receptacles to the wire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for dyeing elongated articles. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for applying a coating of dye along advancing pulp-insulated wires.

In the electrical cable art, particularly the pulp-insulated wire art, the covers or insulation on the conductors generally are colored, entirely or at discrete intervals, to distinguish one from another. This practice, called colorcoding, is necessary in order to identify any particular wire for purposes of installation or maintenance.

In the prior art, various schemes are available for applying a coating of dye to elongated articles. Generally, these schemes, both apparatus and methods, suffer from such disadvantages as too many moving parts and the necessity of providing a driving mechanism. For example, one such apparatus utilizes two marking wheels, two supply rolls, and a complicated gear drive mechanism to move and synchronize the various wheels to apply the dye to an advancing wire. One such method also uses a pair of identical applicator wheels to coat an elongated article, the coating being longer along the sides than along the top and bottom.

Highly desirable would be a method, and an apparatus to perform the method, that would provide continuous or discrete markings on an advancing wire without the need for complicated gear drive mechanisms, excessive moving parts, and duplicate applicators and supply mechanisms. One additional advantage to the use of such an apparatus to practice the method would be the simplicity of operation and maintenance and its attendant economy.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for applying a coating at discrete intervals to an advancing elongated article.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for applying a continuous coating to an advancing elongated article.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that utilizes a minimum of moving parts and needs no gear drive mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With these and other objects in view, this invention contemplates providing an apparatus for color-coding an elongated article which includes a tank for containing a dye solution, a roller mounted for free rotation above the tank, and facilities for displacing the elongated article 3,714,927 Patented Feb. 6, 1973 tangentially to the roller to rotate the roller and sequentially transfer the dye to the advancing elongated article.

In addition, this invention contemplates providing a method for color-coding an elongated article which includes the steps of generating a layer of dye foam and applying the dye foam to the elongated article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, in section, suitable for practicing an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front end view, in section, taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a front end view, in section, of an alternative embodiment of FIG. 2..

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a detailed description of the invention will be given. Although the principles of this invention are hereinafter discussed with reference to pulp-insulated wire, the invention is not restricted to the coating thereof, but has general application to the marking or coating of any elongated article to which reference will be made later.

In FIG. 1 depicting an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the apparatus 10 includes a tank 11 which can be of any conventional size and shape. However, it must be suitable for holding a certain quantity of dye solution 12 and be of such construction as to allow rotatable suspension of a movable assembly yet to be described. The dye solution 12 is provided with a suitable detergent to facilitate foaming of the solution 12. The detergent preferably should be non-ionic so as not to destroy the material being dyed.

In order to foam the dye solution 12, an elongated hollow cylindrical gas distributing means 13 is located near the bottom of the tank 11 and extends along the longitudinal axis of the tank 11. The cylindrical distributing means 13 is closed at one end and is completely submerged in the dye solution 12. Holes 14 are symmetrically spaced along the top periphery of the cylindrical distributing means 13 to permit gas to exit the distributing means 13 and flow through the dye solution 12. In order to maintain the proper pressure head, the distributing means 13 should be maintained level and the gas, exiting the distributing means, should preferably be maintained at no greater than 1 p.s.i. Emission of the gas in the dye solution containing the detergent causes a dye foam layer 16 to form on the top surface of the dye solution 12.

Suspended over the tank 11 is a shaft 17 which may be rotatably mounted to, or over, the tank 11. Fixedly mounted to the shaft for free rotation therewith is a dye transfer member or roller 18. For ease of rotation, the roller 18 is preferably hollow.

The outer periphery of the roller 18 is provided with a plurality of teeth 1919 which are circumferentially spaced about the roller in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the roller. As shown in FIG. 2, the teeth 1919 are also spaced axially across the roller 18 to form a plurality of suitably shaped receptacles 2121 to hold an article 22 in each receptacle. The teeth 1919 may be of any suitable size or shape depending on the configuration of the article to be dyed. The sides 23 of the teeth 1919 are suitably sloped so as to limit the amount of dye foam 16 picked up by surface tension effects in the receptacles 2121. This militates against the uneconomical use of the dye foam 16. The circumferential spacing of the teeth 19-19 about the roller 18 forms a plurality of suitably shaped receptacles 2424 which also pick up dye foam 16 as the teeth 1919 are rotated through the foam.

A deflector 26 is located in the tank 11 and pivotally mounted by a hinge 27 at a bottom corner of the tank 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the deflector 26 is made adjustable as to the arc of rotation by screw 28 secured to both the deflector 26 and the tank 11. Use of the deflector 26, in close proximity to the end portions of the teeth 19-19 restricts the dye foam 16 to the receptacles 21 and 24.

The elongated articles 22-22 to be dyed, for example, a plurality of pulp-insulated wires, are continuously coated with the dye foam 16, shown as coating 29, as there is dye foam in receptacles 21 as Well as receptacles 24.

The operation of the apparatus 10 is as follows. First, the dye solution 12 is prepared by taking approximately 100 cc. of liquid detergent, for example, Syntalpol K-4 manufactured by Pioneer Chemical Company, and diluting it with a gallon of water. Approximately 5 grams of dye, such as Dye 3749 manufactured by Allied Chemical Company, Inc., is then added to live gallons of water. Finally, approximately 50 cc. of the previously diluted detergent is added.

The final dye solution 12, thus prepared, is placed in the tank 11 so as to completely immerse the cylindrical distributing means 13 but leaving sufficient space to allow a dye foam layer 16 to be formed between the dye solution 12 and the roller 18.

Air, at low pressure, is injected into the distributing means 13, and is emitted into the dye solution 12 via the holes 14 in the distributing means 13. In consequence thereof, a dye foam layer 16 is formed which is used in imparting the desired coating 29 on the advancing elon gated article 22.

The roller 18 should be suspended over the dye foam layer 16 such that only the teeth 19-19 and the attendant receptacles 21 and 24 are immersed in the foam 16. The teeth 19-19 should not touch the dye solution 12 itself.

As a pulp-insulated wire is advanced from a supply source (not shown) it frictionally engages the receptacle 21 on the roller 18. As the wire continues to advance, the frictional engagement thus created causes the roller 18 to rotate. As seen from FIG. 1 the roller 18 will rotate clockwise if the wire is advanced from left to right.

As the roller 18 rotates, the teeth 19-19 agitate the dye foam layer 16 thereby maintaining the proper bubble size. As the roller 18 rotates, a portion of the dye foam 16 is picked up and retained Within the receptacles 21 and 24. As the roller 18 continues to rotate, any excess dye foam 16, not contained within the receptacles 21 and 24, is forced back to the dye foam layer 16 because of the blocking action of the deflector 26. Further advancement of the wire and rotation of roller 18 allows the dye foam 16 to permeate and hence coat the wire as the wire frictionally engages the receptacle 21. Then the advancing wire is directed to an oven (not shown) in order to dry the coating 29 heretofore made. In this manner, the elongated article 22 may be colored any desired color to colorcode the article and permit ready identification of each article.

In an alternative embodiment, the distributing means 13, the dye foam 16, and the deflector 26 are not used. As shown in FIG. 3, the teeth 19-19 are provided with receptacles or grooves 30-30 in the end portions thereof. The roller 18 is suspended over the dye solution 12 such that only the grooves 30-30 are immersed. As the roller 18 rotates, in relation to the advancing wire, the dye solution 12 is captured in the grooves 30-30 by surface tension and is subsequently applied to the wire as discrete marks. The dimensions of the receptacles 21 and 24 are chosen so that surface tension effects are insufiicient to pick up and retain suflicient dye in the receptacles to engage the wire. In this manner, the dye is applied in discrete marks rather than a continuous coating. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to use a detergent in the dye solution 12.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, additional embodiments may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. For example, a plurality of apparatus 10 may be linked in series or in tandem depending on what particular color scheme is desired. Then, too, the size and shape of the receptacles 21 and 24 or grooves 30-30 may be varied to correspond to the size and shape of the wire to be coated. Also, the roller 18 may contain grooves between the teeth 19-19 further varying the size and shape of the receptacles 21 and 24. Considering all these above-mentioned alternatives the apparatus 10 described still requires few moving parts and is hence simple and economical to operate and maintain. Nevertheless, what is herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be further modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for color-coding an elongated article, said apparatus comprising:

a tank suitable for containing a dye solution;

means for introducing a gas near the bottom of said tank to foam said dye solution and form a layer of foam on said dye solution;

a roller mounted for free rotation above said tank, said roller having at least a plurality of receptacles radially disposed around the periphery thereof, said receptacles defined by side walls of a plurality of teeth disposed about said roller to define circumferentially extending receptacles therebetween; and

means for displacing the elongated article tangentially to said roller so that upon advancement of said elongated article, said roller will rotate to transfer said foam in said receptacle from said tank to said advancing article.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said dye solution contains a non-ionic detergent.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising, in addition:

a deflector for blocking the upward pasage of any excess foam lying substantially outside said receptacles on said roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,622 1/ 1910 Slaughter 118-DIG. 20 1,369,450 2/1921 Manss 118-234 X 1,662,086 3/ 1928 Stuhr 118-234 X 2,331,207 10/1943 Lodge 118-234 3,043,721 7/1962 Burns 118-234 X 3,135,630 6/1964 Bielinski et al. 118-410 3,509,850 5/1970 Geating 118-234 X JOHN P. MCINTOSH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

